WASHINGTON, March 6, 2014 - USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has rescheduled a stakeholder meeting on live animal quarantine centers that was cancelled this week due to inclement weather. The day-long meeting will take place March 25 at APHIS headquarters in Riverdale, Md.

The meeting is one of six the agency had scheduled across the country for stakeholders to discuss the current and future capacity for live animal import quarantine centers and services. In addition to the Riverdale meeting, a session is scheduled to be held in Miami on March 11. Four other meetings -- in Los Angeles, Louisville, Chicago and New York -- have already taken place.

APHIS currently operates three Federal quarantine facilities and can also approve privately owned facilities to provide quarantine services. However, APHIS oversight and monitoring is still required at privately owned facilities. During the meeting, the agency will be asking stakeholders a series of questions to gather feedback, such as:

What factors do you consider when preparing to import animals requiring quarantine?

What factors do you consider when choosing locations for animal quarantines?

How can e-commerce enhance the importation process?

What are your experiences with quarantine facilities in other countries?

How do you see your need for quarantine services changing over the next 5 to 10 years?

What other options, ideas or topics should VS consider relevant to current animal import quarantine processes?

Meeting registration will take place on-site and will begin at 7:30 a.m. the day of each meeting. Written statements may be filed up to five days before each meeting, at the meetings or after the meetings through May 12. For more information, please contact Erich Kestler, Chief of Staff for VS' National Import Export Services at 301-851-3454.

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